UKULELE STUDENTS CONTRIBUTE MUSICAL STORIES TO GREAT NY READ ALOUD

Congratulations to the MVMS Ukulele Club on an outstanding performance at the Great New York Read Aloud—a celebration of the joy of reading and lifelong learning.

Thirteen of our ukulele students delighted the audience with two folk songs that blended ukulele with percussion. Folk music, a genre known for its story-telling lyrics, was a natural fit and complement to the event.

Schools from across the Orange County participated in the event, hosted by the Orange-Ulster BOCES School Library System at the BOCES campus in Goshen, on April 5.

Minisink’s Sarah Addo, Russell Broach, Matthew Cinelli, Anastasia Godlewski, Charlie Hindley, Saylor Hindley, Hannah Kalena, Finnian Maguire, Destiny McCullough, Kyla Michelitch, Rose Phillips, Evan Ritter and Hannah Veety performed Woodie Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land,” and had the crowd singing along to the catchy chorus. For their second selection, the students performed Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” and incorporated the syncopated percussion rhythms of the original recording.

“I was thrilled to see the students’ hard work pay off,” said Mr. Peters, club advisor. “Their performance was outstanding, and the audience recognized it.”

For 27 years, libraries and schools across the state have sponsored Read Aloud events during National Library Week and School Library Media Month. Our own school librarian, Mrs. Spicehandler, played a lead role in organizing this opportunity for the Ukulele Club.